Leap of Faith

The Royal Confession

When I finally came back in the suite, I was bone tired. I changed into my pink short, over-sized T-shirt, and climbed into the bed beside Shweta. I was ready to burst out a frustration of the ruined date, but Shweta was peacefully sleeping.

When I was unable to control myself, I began, "aren't you going to ask me about the dinner?"

"Hmm. How was it?" she asked sleepily turning towards me, her eyes clamped shut.

"It was dreamy until Rahul Kapoor intruded our date," I tried to keep my voice calm.

"Who Rahul?" she asked supporting herself on the elbow, looking through the slit of her eyes. When I gave her knowing look, she sprang up. "That jackass is here in this hotel?" she sneered. "How can that be? Last time I checked he was in NY for his music thing."

"It seemed so. Don't have any idea of what he may be doing here," I pondered and told her the rest of the story.

"God! He hasn't changed a bit, has he? Same old arrogant bastard," she remarked. "Anyways forget about him and try to be normal with Aayan."

"But what should I tell him?"

"If he is bothered by Rahul, then you must tell him without beating around the bush. You were young for crying out loud."

"Oh, he was bothered, way bothered. Because the later part of the date was just awkward. He looked upset. Maybe he is assuming worse. Who knows?" I speculated.

"Then go and talk to him, will you?" she suggested earnestly.

"I will go in the morning itself." Oh, how I want to avoid the confrontation.

***

I tried my best to sleep. The past kept cropping in my thoughts. Finally, I gave up; it was past three in the morning. I took the ice cream from the refrigerator and went to the balcony to sit under the quiet night sky. I swallowed a mouthful, staring at the beautifully lighted Mughal styled garden. The cool air was giving me shivers. How did I land up here? I thought hard. Wouldn't it be great to marry Aayan in this beautiful backdrop? "Stupid, stupid, stupid," I muttered and sighed taking another mouthful of ice cream.

"Can you share?" a voice asked from somewhere behind me.

My heart stopped as I turned around. "What the hell!"

"Calm down It's me," Aayan whispered softly as he appeared out of nowhere on one side of the balcony.

"You would have given me a heart attack!" I started. "How did you get here?"

"Shweta let me in," he said. "Don't worry she went back to the sleep."

He walked towards me, smiling and sat beside me.

"I couldn't sleep," he murmured. I looked at him waiting. "Well, I am sorry. I was a jerk before."

"No." I shrugged. I had made the evening awkward.

"Yes, I was. I was so angry with that no friend of yours to intrude in our perfectly planned date." He waited and kept the ice cream back on the coffee table. "I hate how he talked with you, objected on your looks. How he called you Trish. And especially your flushed response to him."

He was frank in accepting the fact that he was jealous of Rahul. I could not say anything for a while. I went into his arms and rested my head on his shoulders.

"What bothers me the most is that I can't force you to answer me. I am not used to this kind of feeling. The last time I had this feeling when I was stuck with Alina." The turmoil in his mind was quite clear now. He was afraid that the past would repeat for him. I had to say something quick to make it better. However, I could not blurt out the words. "And here you are, thinking of shutting me off again," he accused me of my silence. I let out a sigh and looked at him with desperation and love.